There was a lot of factors, but the icing on my athiest cake was when my mom's (she'd passed like the month before) pastor, told me if I wanted to have a nervous breakdown and kill myself, to do it during normal business hours and to not call him at 1 in the morning ever again, and then he proceeded to bitch me out some more the next day. We'd been going to that church for like 10 years. And for the record, I didn't call him or wanted to talk to him. My step-dad did cuz he didn't want to deal with me either. Fuckin assholes!

Still believe. Have engaged in years of critical analysis and studies, and God always seems to come out on top.

__________________
"Prove Evolution without using science or Darwin. Then we'll talk" Quote brought to you by
"The'Doctor'Aaron"
"wasnt madylin o'hare instrumental in starting all this atheist movement? she did get prayer taken out of public schools........i have read her life story, it is sad and pitiful.........she and her family deserved the dismembered end they got at the hands of her employee" PRN, a loving mother.

Hundreds of books from all ends of the religious and irreligious spectrum, systematic theologies, lectures, debates, and coursework. I started out from a much more critical perspective, and was steeped in liberal "theological" orientation. (I put that in quotes to denote the fact that my childhood ministers publicly admitted not only doubts, but direct criticism of the theology I now adhere to. I attended churches in about a dozen different traditions before settling on Reformed Presbyterian expression as being a more comprehensive and accurate exposition of faith for me -- sufficiently academic to satisfy my academic side, and sufficiently cognizant of emotional spiritual realities to speak to the quiet places of the soul. I recognize that others respond better to different manifestations of faith, so I'm not an ardent denominationalist, although I believe that there are better and lesser theological systems offered for peoples understanding. And some are plainly wrong.

I have a great deal of respect for those who have genuinely examined faith and found it lacking, but fear they are still missing a critical piece of the puzzle. Respectful disagreement is good, even whenone of us must necessarily be wrong. Of course, on LiveLeak I reserve the right to make snarky comments designed to tweak a response, or just irritate them for the fun of it, but that's just LL.

I'm still waiting for the sources.
Where is the proof that jesus even existed?

__________________
"Prove Evolution without using science or Darwin. Then we'll talk" Quote brought to you by
"The'Doctor'Aaron"
"wasnt madylin o'hare instrumental in starting all this atheist movement? she did get prayer taken out of public schools........i have read her life story, it is sad and pitiful.........she and her family deserved the dismembered end they got at the hands of her employee" PRN, a loving mother.

Hundreds of books from all ends of the religious and irreligious spectrum, systematic theologies, lectures, debates, and coursework. I started out from a much more critical perspective, and was steeped in liberal "theological" orientation. (I put that in quotes to denote the fact that my childhood ministers publicly admitted not only doubts, but direct criticism of the theology I now adhere to. I attended churches in about a dozen different traditions before settling on Reformed Presbyterian expression as being a more comprehensive and accurate exposition of faith for me -- sufficiently academic to satisfy my academic side, and sufficiently cognizant of emotional spiritual realities to speak to the quiet places of the soul. I recognize that others respond better to different manifestations of faith, so I'm not an ardent denominationalist, although I believe that there are better and lesser theological systems offered for peoples understanding. And some are plainly wrong.

I have a great deal of respect for those who have genuinely examined faith and found it lacking, but fear they are still missing a critical piece of the puzzle. Respectful disagreement is good, even whenone of us must necessarily be wrong. Of course, on LiveLeak I reserve the right to make snarky comments designed to tweak a response, or just irritate them for the fun of it, but that's just LL.

I can't help but feel that sounds nothing like proof (of any kind) and
far more like you going far out of your way trying to persuade yourself
and / or having other persuade you that a god exists / and which god.

Maybe you found the 'critical piece of the puzzle' because you were so
deeply determined that it was there for you to find in the first place?...
I guess there is little point in saying so and maybe you'll think I'm trying
to insult you some way, but I'm not. What triggered this 'quest' & when?